Good EM Programs for Spanish Speaking?

[hothause]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hi all. I grew up in Texas spending three years learning Spanish and another few semesters in college. Unfortunately, I've lost a lot of it and would really like to go to a residency with a fair number of Spanish speaking patients. I've found that immersion is the best method for learning alongside medical Spanish classes (which my med school doesn't offer). Anyone have any idea of good programs in EM to meet this goal?

 

[Entgegen]

Hi all. I grew up in Texas spending three years learning Spanish and another few semesters in college. Unfortunately, I've lost a lot of it and would really like to go to a residency with a fair number of Spanish speaking patients. I've found that immersion is the best method for learning alongside medical Spanish classes (which my med school doesn't offer). Anyone have any idea of good programs in EM to meet this goal?

I hear the program in El Paso has a lot of exposure to Spanish-only patients.

 

[Hamhock]

hi all. I grew up in texas spending three years learning spanish and another few semesters in college. Unfortunately, i've lost a lot of it and would really like to go to a residency with a fair number of spanish speaking patients. I've found that immersion is the best method for learning alongside medical spanish classes (which my med school doesn't offer). Anyone have any idea of good programs in em to meet this goal?

lac-usc

 

[Colbert]

Pretty much any place in NYC will have Spanish speakers

 

[ccfccp]

I think you're likely to find a reasonable number of Spanish speaking patients in most places you go. This is likely elevated in the Southwest and Southeast portions of the country, but as has been mentioned, any major metro area will show an increase in this. I'm in Florida, and probably about 10-15% of our patients are (or at least will pretend to be) Spanish speaking only.

 

[jbar]

Pretty much any place in NYC will have Spanish speakers

You have to be careful on this one and actually ask when you interview. Some like Kings County in Brooklyn are in a mainly black area where the biggest second language is creole, on a sub-I I'd say only about 2-3% of my patient's were spanish speaking. Compared to Metropolitan hospital, which is right by spanish Harlem and is about 80% spanish speaking patients.

 

[heroin5]

the county programs in california are mostly spanish speakers. unm is great too and you might even pick up some navajo. once did an entire patient work up in spanish (rusty but wanted to practice) only to have the patient do the surgical consult in perfect english 🙂

 

[hothause]

the county programs in california are mostly spanish speakers. unm is great too and you might even pick up some navajo. once did an entire patient work up in spanish (rusty but wanted to practice) only to have the patient do the surgical consult in perfect english 🙂

Haha. That's awesome! Thanks for the recommendations guys. Please keep them coming.

 

[EctopicFetus]

University of Arizona - Kino residency.. and the main one too.

 

[MSmentor018]

decent amount here, tampa fl

 

[WilcoWorld]

I 2nd the UNM.

Also, most places in Chicago see a lot of Spanish speakers.

 

[opb]

Cook County in Chicago.

 

[Rendar5]

stony brook which is an hour east of NYC on long island has plenty of spanish speakers, so take that to mean any well-populated area should have more than enough spanish for you.

 

[hothause]

Thanks all. That's surprising about Stony Brook. In the middle size city I go to school in, I've seen only a handful of Spanish only speaking patients and most were at a clinic that sees undocumented workers and focuses on refugee populations. I'd love to go somewhere that actually forces me to rely on Spanish every shift or few.

 

[Rendar5]

Thanks all. That's surprising about Stony Brook. In the middle size city I go to school in, I've seen only a handful of Spanish only speaking patients and most were at a clinic that sees undocumented workers and focuses on refugee populations. I'd love to go somewhere that actually forces me to rely on Spanish every shift or few.

what city are you in? a midwestern city would be the only type of city I can imagine without a significant spanish-speaking population.

 

[Rockhouse]

Maricopa County in Phoenix. Enough spanish speakers to justify a full time interpreter dedicated to the ED.

 

[Apollyon]

what city are you in? a midwestern city would be the only type of city I can imagine without a significant spanish-speaking population.

Just a guess - I am thinking Minneapolis. No proof, just a thought.

 

[jbar]

what city are you in? a midwestern city would be the only type of city I can imagine without a significant spanish-speaking population.

New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine, upstate New York, parts of Penn etc.

Also it depends on what what you are looking for. There is a big difference in how good you get with your spanish between going somewhere with a 5% spanish speaking population, significant, and somewhere like Arizona or parts of New York where 80% of your patients will be spanish speaking only.